An affordable option for building a cheap home library, 20th-century hardcover publishers book series included reprints of classics and publisher’s back catalog titles as well as newly commissioned titles. A few series dominated, such as Everyman’s Library and the Modern Library, but there are many others. These pages document the diversity of 20th-century reprint book series. Click on a series below for more information about the series.

Imperial Library

A short-lived series of reprints aimed at young adult readers, published by Blackie for a few years in the early 1920s. The series reached at least 9 titles and disappears from advertising in the mid-1930s.

Jackets are common to the series, with at least two variations on the geometrical design shown on this copy of Kenyon’s ‘Twixt Earth and Sky. The jacket designs are atypical of young adult series (which typically have illustrations on the jackets) and may have been an attempt to package young adult books with a less “childish” design. The series name is not included on the front of the jacket. Another Blackie series, Stories Old and New, is advertised on the front jacket flap. The price of 1/- net is also included on the front jacket flap.

The rear of the jacket list eight titles. At least one more title, The Boys of Castle Cliff School by R.A.H. Goodyear, was added to this list. The rear jacket flap advertises The Young Children’s Library.

Red cloth binding with black type and decorations:

The series is advertised as illustrated but at least, in this case, the only illustration faces the title page.

The series name and 8 titles are listed on the copyright page, along with printer information.